


SIX: FAUX-AFFECTIONATE VILLAIN

by roswyrm



Series: AND REMEMBER! BAD THINGS: WILL HAPPEN [4]
Category: Rusty Quill Gaming (Podcast)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bad Things Happen Bingo, Desperate for Affection, Emotional Manipulation, Gen, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Implied/Referenced Character Death, bc saleh, saleh jr i feel i should clarify
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-12
Updated: 2019-07-12
Packaged: 2020-06-26 23:10:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 534
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19778401
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/roswyrm/pseuds/roswyrm
Summary: Written for Maeve (my favourite fridge-bound gremlin) and the Bad Things Happen Bingo!





	SIX: FAUX-AFFECTIONATE VILLAIN

**Author's Note:**

  * For [maevemil](https://archiveofourown.org/users/maevemil/gifts).



> listen i didnt know who the fuck else could be shunted into this dynamic, nor do i know how to make it happy. sorry.

Barrett is generous. Saleh knows this like he knows that two taps on his ankle under the table mean _bet red,_ like he knows Carter is obnoxious, like he knows Aziza was so full of life she couldn’t understand him wasting his at the craps table. Barrett is generous, and everything is _Saleh’s fault,_ so he wrestles the ring off of his baby brother’s finger while he’s sleeping and slips it on. Nothing happens. Saleh swallows, tucks Hamid in, goes back to his own room.

Barrett is generous. Barrett is _kind,_ even, kinder than Father will be, and Saleh trusts that whatever job he has to do to make up for his failure in the pyramid will be better than anything he could be sentenced to. It’s midnight when he feels his hand grow hot, and Saleh stares at the ring in apprehension. “There we are,” Barrett says, and it’s like all of the panic from the past few weeks washes away in the warmth of his voice, “I knew you’d come through. You made the right choice, Saleh.” It’s such easy approval, too, like Saleh hasn’t been striving for something like that from his father since he was ten years old.

“What do I need to do?” Saleh asks, holding the ring up to his mouth, unsure how exactly this works. Hamid’s the magic one. Saira’s the one who knows how to work with artefacts like they’re merely puzzles she’s been playing with her whole life. Ishaak’s the one who treats authority like an added challenge to pranking, and Ismail’s the one who charms people into thinking they’re both trustworthy. Aziza– Saleh’s not thinking about Aziza right now. Seems like some kind of blasphemy.

Barrett laughs, and he says, “Nothing yet. Just keep the ring. Just wait.” Barrett is _generous,_ and Saleh knows this, and Saleh knows he doesn’t deserve it.

It’s Saleh’s fault. It’s all Saleh’s fault. He did this, he got her _killed,_ how could he deserve this generosity? “No, Bar– M-Mr Rackett, sir, please. It’s my fault, let me– let me make it up to you. T-to the crew.” And Barrett sighs, almost fond, the way Mother would. Cold, but still so affectionate, still more than Saleh has ever deserved.

Barrett is generous, and he must hear the desperation in Saleh’s voice. “In time. You don’t need to prove yourself, Saleh, you’re already doing the best that could be expected. You’re the only one who’s reached out to me; do you have any idea how grateful I am for you right now?” _Grateful._ Saleh can count on one hand the number of times someone has been _grateful_ for him, and they’re all memories that he hoards, holds close to his chest, wonders about the sincerity behind them. Barrett is _grateful._

He wonders if this is worse than the gambling debts. If this is a trap, if Saleh will fall down a pit of his own design trying to prove he is worthy of Barrett’s gratitude. It’s a stupid thing to wonder when the answer is so clearly and unequivocally _yes._ But Barrett is generous, is kind, is _grateful,_ and Saleh would do anything to have anyone be proud of him.

**Author's Note:**

> im on tumblr [@roswyrm](https://roswyrm.tumblr.com/) and my prompts are still open so feel free to send me some!! the bingo card is [HERE!!](https://roswyrm.tumblr.com/post/185920586016/image-id-a-bad-things-happen-bingo-game) i love you!!!


End file.
